Ryumin: On people’s right to wish to be deceived! You often speak of life. What is this: life? Whenever you talk about it I see in my mind’s eye a massive and amorphous monster that ceaselessly demands sacrifices, human sacrifices! Day after day it gobbles up a man, not leaving a single scrap, and avidly drinks his blood. Why? I don’t see any sense to it, but I know that the longer a man lives, the more he sees himself surrounded by filth, vulgarity, coarseness and smut and the more he craves beauty, clarity, purity (from ‘Summerfolk’ by M. Gorky)
In Les Estivants (‘Summerfolk’ in English) a group of Russian friends spends the summer in a country dacha. They talk about the childrens education, about love, marriage, literature and life They drink tea, brag and have fun, enjoying the sun and the water. Yet something is brewing. This group of notoriously enlightened members of the bourgeoisie, the Russian intelligentsia, is on edge. In the expectation that their lives are about to change completely, they cling to each other like grim death and fanatically defend their own precarious position.
Maxim Gorky wrote Les Estivants or “Datchniki” in 1905. The story dramatizes the life of the Russian middle class and its position vis-à-vis the social changes taking place at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Shalimov: I can feel it! I walk down the street and I see people with an entirely distinctive physiognomy and I feel: they will not read me, it does not appeal to them. They are strangers to me, they do not like me. They do not need me. I am old to them, and my ideas are old, too. I do not understand who they are! Who they like! Who they need! (from ‘Summerfolk’ by M. Gorky)
Shalimov: Please! You are just like everybody else! Everyone has this stupid and presumptuous conception of a writer’s life. Of how he should eat, speak, write. Why? Why should I meet higher requirements for you? Why should I play a different part? I am a perfectly normal man who works for a living. Not with my hands, but with my imagination. You live as you like. But I, because I am a writer, should live according to your wishes, to satisfy your dreams. Pardon me, Varvara Mikhaliovna, but I’ll give you back this flower. I feel I do not deserve this distinction. (from ‘Summerfolk’ by M. Gorky)
In French
text ‘Summerfolk’ by Maxim Gorky
French performance by and with Robby Cleiren, Jolente De Keersmaeker, Sara De Roo, Damiaan De Schrijver, Tine Embrechts, Bert Haelvoet, Minke Kruyver, Frank Vercruyssen and Hilde Wils
Dutch performance by and with Marjon Brandsma, Robby Cleiren, Jolente De Keersmaeker, Sara De Roo, Damiaan De Schrijver, Tine Embrechts, Bert Haelvoet, Minke Kruyver and Frank Vercruyssen
costumes Ann D’Huys
lighting design Clive Mitchell
technique Clive Mitchell and Tim Wouters
many thanks to Dood Paard, Peter Gorissen, Jeroen Perceval, Bob Snijers, Henk Van de Caveye, Gommer Van Rousselt and Martine Bom
production French version Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse), Théâtre de Nîmes, Théâtre National de Strasbourg, Théâtre de la Bastille and Festival d’Automne (Paris)production Dutch version tg STAN
première French version October 2nd 2012, Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse (FR)
premiere Dutch version June 17th 2010, Monty, Antwerp
2013
January
Wed 16.01.13 20:00
KVS
Bruxelles
Thu 17.01.13 20:00
KVS
Bruxelles
Fri 18.01.13 20:00
KVS
Bruxelles
Sat 19.01.13 20:00
KVS
Bruxelles
February
Sat 02.02.13 21:30
Culturgest
Lisboa
Sun 03.02.13 17:00
Culturgest
Lisboa
2012
october
Tue 02.10.12 20:00
Théâtre Garonne
Toulouse
Wed 03.10.12 20:00
Théâtre Garonne
Toulouse
Thu 04.10.12 20:00
Théâtre Garonne
Toulouse
Fri 05.10.12 20:30
Théâtre Garonne
Toulouse
Sat 06.10.12 20:30
Théâtre Garonne
Toulouse
Wed 10.10.12 19:00
Théâtre de Nimes
Nîmes
Thu 11.10.12 20:00
Théâtre de Nimes
Nîmes
Fri 19.10.12 20:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Sat 20.10.12 20:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Sun 21.10.12 16:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Tue 23.10.12 20:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Wed 24.10.12 20:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Thu 25.10.12 20:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Fri 26.10.12 20:00
Théâtre National de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Tue 30.10.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Wed 31.10.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
november
Thu 01.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Fri 02.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Sat 03.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Tue 06.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Wed 07.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Thu 08.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Fri 09.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Sat 10.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Mon 12.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Tue 13.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Thu 15.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Fri 16.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Sat 17.11.12 21:00
Théâtre de la Bastille
Paris
Tue 27.11.12 21:00
Onassis Cultural Center
Athena
Wed 28.11.12 21:00
Onassis Cultural Center
Athena
Thu 29.11.12 21:00
Onassis Cultural Center
Athena
Fri 30.11.12 21:00
Onassis Cultural Center
Athena
december
Sat 01.12.12 21:00
Onassis Cultural Center
Athena